In Graham Hunter's new book 'Spain: The inside story of La Roja’s historic treble', Barcelona star Andres Iniesta makes a remarkable claim about Manchester.

Spain transformation from underachievers to champions of the world began in Manchester, the squad’s most decorated player has claimed.

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta – voted Uefa’s best player in Europe last year and a potential United target – says the city was the springboard for his squad claiming the 2010 World Cup and European 2008 and 2012 crowns.

He says an Old Trafford friendly in February 2007, where the Spaniards beat England 1-0, catalysed under-performing players by showing what they could really achieve.

A new book about Spain’s journey to glory – also credits City and United for developing David Silva and Gerard Pique into world-class players.

Author Graham Hunter, who has interviewed leading figures behind the Spanish success story, said: “I asked Iniesta what the turning point was for Spain. In 2007, they had just lost 3-2 to Northern Ireland and were going into a friendly with

England, being played at Old Trafford, which the Spanish see as more emblematic of English football – even bigger than Wembley.

“Beating England at Old Trafford was a massive psychological boost for the team. The team which won the Euro 2008 cup was exactly the same.”

The book also reveals how close Barca talisman Xavi came to signing for United.

The player admits he was days away from signing with Sir Alex Ferguson but only ‘pig- headed stubbornness’ stopped him, instead he redoubled his efforts to establish himself at the Nou Camp.

Hunter says the Premier League – and north west clubs in particular – had given players such as Pique a chance to shine.

The defender spent four years at United and described how team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo helped him to adjust to life in England.

He says: “Ronaldo helped me immensely when I first moved to Manchester. He spoke more English and the two of us could also communicate in Spanish. He was fantastic and we actually supported one another a bit.”

So impressed were the Spanish national squad with the form of their English-based players, that fitness coach Javier Minano was sent on a fact-finding trip to Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium to find out the precise details of how the players trained through the season and how these could be maintained.

Barcelona-based Hunter, Sky Sport’s Spanish football expert who travelled with the Spain team at each of the three tournaments, also writes about Blues players Alvaro Negredo, Silva, and Jesus Navas.

He reveals how Navas, who joined from Sevilla in the summer, has overcome a life-time anxiety over travelling to play internationally.

He described how the winger was afflicted with anxiety attacks’ when it came it travelling far from his home region.

Hunter said the experience of the European and World Cup campaigns plus psychological support offered by Sevilla, which signed Navas as a 16-year-old, had helped pave his way to signing for the Blues this summer.

He said: “He is very Andalusian and he found he was suffering very great anxiety if he travelled very far away from his home. He has recognised the problem and it is a tribute to his determination that he was able to overcome it.

“If it wasn’t for his motivation, and the experience of the World Cup training camp in South Africa, then Manchester City would not have been able to sign the guy who was scoring in the first minute of Sunday’s match.”

And although Silva’s move to City saw him develop as a world-class player, Hunter said that his protracted transfer from Valencia saw him fall out of favour with national coaches, consequently spending more time on the bench during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Graham Hunter will be talking about his book – Spain: The inside story of La Roja’s historic treble – at the National Football Museum on Sunday at 5pm. You can still buy tickets for this event here. Tickets are also available at the venue from 4pm on Sunday.

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